


you'll find me on my tallest tiptoes (spinning in my highest heels, love)

by thoushaltnotdie



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Canon Timeline, Character Study, Confessions, Implied Relationships, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Prom, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25745098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thoushaltnotdie/pseuds/thoushaltnotdie
Summary: Nagisa looks at him like he can’t quite believe what he’s seeing, like it’s the first time he set his eyes upon him. It stirs something inside Karma that he’s afraid of acknowledging.“You’re the one who told me to show up.” Karma reminds, grasping on the remaining sense he has.Nagisa, in all his beautiful glory, smiles at him and the rotation of the world suddenly shifts.
Relationships: Akabane Karma/Shiota Nagisa
Comments: 16
Kudos: 214





	you'll find me on my tallest tiptoes (spinning in my highest heels, love)

**Author's Note:**

> i honestly have no idea what went on while i was writing this fic since i only had a sudden urge to write karmagisa slow dancing and no solid plan/outline or whatsoever. also my writing process consisted of listening to mirrorball on repeat and crying. it's been five years since the last time i wrote about them and my view of their relationship and dynamic has changed over time (tho i havent properly rewatched assclass so im relying on my memory alone so this might feel sort of incomplete lmao) it's a weird emotional experience but i hope you enjoy reading this!
> 
> unbeta-ed, we die like men!!!! 
> 
> title is from mirrorball by taylor swift

Parties weren’t Karma’s scene. He’s not the type to attend any social gathering, not even the ones his parents have gone hell and back in persuading him to come with them. Karma finds the idea of it distasteful, he doesn’t want to waste his energy around elitist strangers whose only aim in the setting is to gain some sort of elevation in the hierarchy. Both of his parents pay no shit to status but they were the opposite of him, social animals who feed off of interpersonal relations.

Karma has never built a lasting connection with anyone else in his entire life. Perhaps, the only thing he has established are longtime enemies but it’s nothing he can’t deal with ease.

He absentmindedly stares at the pale ceiling of his room. It’s almost 5 o’clock in the evening, his classmates must be busy preparing for their supposed promesque graduation party on the mountain. He remembers Kayano being the brain of the theme _‘under the moon’_ in light of their homeroom teacher’s recent passing. All day he’s been ignoring the messages in their LINE group chat that were convincing him to attend. For the record, Karma actually considered the idea of showing up. That in itself is already a feat his peers achieved since he’s never spared a second of thought towards attending banquets his mother constantly nagged him on.

He knows it wasn’t going to be a full blown party. Just a small gathering of Class E before they all part ways and move forward into a new chapter of their lives. Karma is the only one staying in Kunigagaoka while most of them are transferring somewhere else in hopes for a fresh start or a step closer towards their personal dreams.

Which reminds him, Nagisa also is going to a different school.

There really isn’t a reason for Karma not to attend though the idea that the party is treated like a senior prom slightly deters him from coming. If he knew anything about proms, dates and slow dances were on top of that list. However, Isogai assured there was no need for a formal date – most likely to pacify Okajima who everyone knows would fail to get one.

A romantic and sentimental setting, Karma’s nose scrunches just by thinking about it. Loud parties were one thing but this was a completely different story. He can already imagine his classmates who’ll show up as each other’s dates.

Chiba and Hayami, Sugino and Kanzaki, Okano and Maehara, Kataoka and Isogai.

(He’s not absolutely sure of the last two pairs and it would be interesting if the two childhood friends showed up together.)

And, _of course_ , Kayano and Nagisa.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if she asked Nagisa to be her date. A faint smirk forms on his lips as he pictures the prominent blush on Nagisa’s cheeks on getting asked, a stupid flustered look as if he couldn’t believe that anyone would want to be his date. Soon the expression falls off his face and he sighs, out of disappointment or regret, he doesn’t bother figuring out.

Maybe he could persuade Rio to pretend as his date for the night to seem less pathetic and out of place since his close friends are most likely each other’s dates. Coming up with a creative method – he has blackmail material on her after all – to convince her is easy as pie. Though the idea immediately goes down the drain when he remembers that the blonde also harbors an unrequited crush on Nagisa. _Hah, at least I’m not the only pathetic one._

The vibrating of his phone draws his attention away from his thoughts. Karma’s brows furrow, the only person he doesn’t have on mute is…

Karma’s heart skips a beat when he realizes who messaged him.

**Nagisa  
**Are you coming tonight, Karma? _  
5:05PM_

 **Me  
**dunno. maybe or maybe not ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
_5:06PM_

 **Nagisa  
**You should come! This is the last time we’re all going to be together…  
Show up tonight. We’ll be waiting for you.  
_5:06PM_

 **Me  
**ehhh too lazy zzz  
_5:07PM_

 **Nagisa  
**For me? You said you’ll listen to me.  
I want you to come tonight.  
_5:07PM_

Karma blinks. He intended to mess around with Nagisa for a while before letting his friend know that he’s going to show up. (All it took was one message from Nagisa for Karma to quickly make up his mind. But not that Nagisa’s supposed to know that nor anyone else.) Karma’s fingers tremble slightly, chest feeling too tight for his liking, and heart beating a bit faster than normal as he reads Nagisa’s last message again and again.

How cruel. Nagisa has no idea of the weight his words leave on Karma’s chest.

**Me  
**now that’s kinda unfair nagisa  
but if you insist then who am i to deny?  
_5:10PM_

 **Nagisa  
**That’s a relief.  
I thought you wouldn’t reply ｡ﾟ･ (>﹏<) ･ﾟ｡  
See you later, Karma!  
_5:10PM_

Looks like he’s attending his first party ever.

*

As expected, Karma is late to the party. It wouldn’t be like him to show up on time anyway.

The music grows louder as he treks higher up the mountain, vaguely registering a generic pop song by some popular idol. Relief washes over him knowing that he won’t be arriving at a time where everyone’s slow dancing in the middle. He won’t have to watch Nagisa dance with Kayano from afar yet.

Karma looks up and the picture of stars littered across the dark sky greet him and the crumbling crescent moon seems to be the brightest celestial body in the night. He sees a phantom of Korosensei’s smile and Karma feels his lips tug into a smile of his own. Surely, if the yellow-tentacled teacher is still with them he would’ve gone to fetch Karma himself so he can ensure his attendance to the class gathering.

Somehow it’s as though his presence never went away.

Steps feeling lighter than before, Karma reaches the entrance of the old wooden building. From his place he figures that the party is held out on the field where the music is now a mellow song he clearly hears. LED string lights hang over their heads and bathes the place a soft golden glow, complementing the snow white radiance of the moon, and hand-crafted glimmering stars dangle lightly on strings here and there.

_They really went all out with this, huh._

A body roughly bumps into Karma that causes him to stumble.

“Finally decided to show up?”

Regaining his balance, he flashes a lazy grin to the person before him. “I don’t think that was a proper greeting for a lady wearing heels.”

Rio bursts into undignified laughter, obviously giving no care for poise or grace. She was wearing a royal blue satin cocktail dress, the length of her dress is stops just before her knees.

“Oh, please. Save me from that crap.” Rio gives him a once over. “Who knew you clean up nicely? I’m surprised you’re accordingly dressed, suit and all.”

“Don’t want to be the odd one out.” Karma replies.

The blonde’s eyebrow raises in interest. “You should enjoy this party to the fullest then.”

“That’s the plan.” Karma’s eyes shine with mischief. “So, who’s your date for tonight?”

“Why? Want me to be your date? Pass!” Cheeky, Rio blows a raspberry to him.

Karma lets out an airy chuckle, expected this reaction from the clever blonde. Similar like two magnets of the same pole both of them clash which also explains their attraction towards the same thing – the same _person_. Being each other’s date was out of the window in the first place, Karma had entertained the possibility only because he thought Rio would humor him and his play pretend.

Rio’s features soften and speaks in a tone resembling resignation. “Besides, if I were to form a solidarity alliance it’s definitely not with you.”

A beat of silence. Karma’s body freezes at her statement, headspace starting to muddle while his brain comes up with every possible implication of her quiet admission. The pounding of his heart becomes too loud on his ears and considers that he must have misheard Rio because of it.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Rio smiles instead of answering and something reflects in her eyes that Karma’s familiar of. _Envy_. It’s gone in a blink of an eye before he could even decipher what the emotion means, where it’s coming from, and who it was directed to.

“Karma’s here!”

Rio promptly pushes him forward. He throws her a pointed look in which she responds with a smug grin. Several heads turn at the announcement and they greet Karma simultaneously. A crowd forms around him and Karma’s suddenly overcome with the sense of déjà vu. Now, a tiny part of him is starting to regret that he actually came to the party, his previous concern conveniently shoved in the back of his mind, distracted by his classmates currently crowding him.

Karma doesn’t understand why everyone was invading his personal space. Is his presence in a setting like this that surprising? Karma then realizes that he can’t blame his classmates for it since he couldn’t even count on both hands how many times he skipped school assemblies or something alike. So, Karma chooses to swallow down his annoyance and manage his way out of the people surrounding him instead.

While literally wrestling his way out, Terasaka saw the opportunity and messed with his hair which he spent an hour styling and then slipped away snickering to himself. Karma grimaces, _that fucker._ He’ll get back at him later.

When Karma finally has room to breathe, he spots Kayano by the long table full of drinks.

“Hi, Kayano-chan.” He says in his approach.

“Karma!” She whips her head to look up at him and beams. “You’re late. Nagisa is waiting for you.”

He makes sure not to let the fact that his heart flipped show on his face. “I’m sure he is. He convinced me to come after all.”

“Almost everyone told you to come.” She corrects without any hint of accusation. “But you only listen to Nagisa, don’t you?”

Karma accepts the red colored drink Kayano hands him, grinning. “I wonder about that.”

Kayano shakes her head. Exasperation mildly present across her features as she turns to face him. Tilting her head to the side as she offers. “Come on, let’s go to where Nagisa is.”

At the mention of Nagisa, Karma immediately jumps on the opportunity to tease her.

“You don’t want him all for yourself tonight, Kayano-chan?”

Crimson immediately spreads across her face and Karma grins in amusement. Kayano is always easy to fluster as long as it’s about Nagisa. Jealousy twinges lightly in his chest. You’ll never hear Karma admit it, even to himself, but he wishes to be that open with his emotions as well. His emotions regarding a certain friend.

Fortunately, Kayano disrupts his thoughts.

“What are you talking about? The others are with him too.” She sputters out. A thoughtful pause then she admits in a quiet voice. “Plus, he’s not my date…or anyone else’s.”

Karma stops on his tracks, genuinely surprised to find out that his assumption is wrong. He’s been so sure that they’d be each other’s date tonight but reality gives him the opposite. Nagisa isn’t Kayano’s date. _Nagisa doesn’t have a date tonight._ That lone thought plays in Karma’s head like a broken record, and it’s silly to think that something so… trivial is affecting him greatly.

“I see.” He says, unsure whether to address the sudden spark of hope in him.

*

Once they arrive at the table where Nagisa is supposed to be sitting with Sugino, Kanzaki and Kurahashi, the blue-haired boy was nowhere in sight. Turns out, Rio had snatched him away moments before they reached there, mumbling about having her fun while she still has a chance. Karma buries the unpleasant feeling of disappointment and instead distracts himself into teasing Sugino to Kanzaki, who as usual, takes in everything with elegance and perpetual patience.

Later on, Isogai with Maehara in tow stops by their table. They easily fall into a lighthearted conversation, jokes and banter fill the air, and Karma forgets about the gaping hole shaped like Nagisa in their small circle just in time the devil decides to show himself.

Karma hears Nagisa voice before he sees him.

A witty remark sits on the tip of his tongue ready to be uttered as he turns around to face the newcomer. When his gaze lands on the very boy he anticipated the most to see, Karma is rendered speechless. Every single coherent thought leaves his head, all of his planned teasing breaks down into a messy jumble of words and tongue twisting into a knot inside his mouth.

Karma is standing up from his chair before his brain registers his actions, slowly approaching the boy his eyes are glued on. Nagisa stops from walking and waits for him, a few steps away. He stands under the moonlight, under the blinking stars, under the luminescent lights, and yet glows the brightest beneath it all. Nagisa wore a black tailored suit, a crisp white dress shirt neatly tucked underneath, and a baby blue necktie to complement his hair as the finishing touch.

But what knocks the air out of Karma’s lungs is the sight of Nagisa’s hair tied in a neat bun, a single flower piece nestled delicately in between, with his bangs framing his face prettily.

Nagisa is simply breathtaking.

Lacking eloquence, Karma only comes up with a single-syllable greeting. “Hi.”

“You really came.”

Nagisa looks at him like he can’t quite believe what he’s seeing, like it’s the first time he set his eyes upon him. It stirs something inside Karma that he’s afraid of acknowledging.

“You’re the one who told me to show up.” Karma reminds, grasping on the remaining sense he has.

Nagisa, in all his beautiful glory, smiles at him and the rotation of the world suddenly shifts. Karma loses his footing as gravity is replaced by a stronger force more magnetizing and all he knows is that he’s falling. Karma keeps on falling and falling until he finds Nagisa at the center of the world. _His_ world.

“I did. I’m glad you’re here.”

Nagisa does that thing where he tips his head to the side and his smile widens a tiny fraction. And he’s effortlessly beautiful by doing just that. _You’re beautiful._ Karma itches to say but he can’t seem to get the words stuck lodged in his throat. Nagisa isn’t discouraged by the response, or lack thereof, he’s receiving and seems to be content by simply smiling at him. _Beautiful_ , Karma thinks again. Nagisa is so beautiful.

“A mosquito’s gonna fly in your mouth if you don’t close it.”

Nagisa’s hand gently comes up to his chin and closes it. Karma doesn’t even realize that his mouth was left open the whole time. Mortification seeps into his veins and rushes into his head, flushing his ears in red. Nagisa draws his hand back a moment longer than necessary and warmth lingers on the place he touched. Nagisa doesn’t show any indication of noticing the reddening of Karma’s face, if he did, he doesn’t mention it and chooses to stand in silence beside him.

Only then does Karma realize that their friends have left the table and the music already transitioned into a softer sentimental melody. His face still feels flushed and he’s certain the heat isn’t going to cool down soon, not when Nagisa remains by his side.

 _Huh. This is weird._ The slow song continues to play in the background and Nagisa is still beside him, swaying lightly to the music while watching their classmates dance across the field. Karma searches his brain for answers to the question why Nagisa is here with him. This wasn’t what Karma had anticipated at all. His blue-haired friend should be out there dancing with Kayano and he’s supposed to watch in silent misery.

But, it occurs to him, the night itself has been nothing he expected.

Karma retraces the incidents that surprised him and remembers Rio’s resigned words, Kayano’s meek confession, Nagisa’s expression as he looked at him for the first time and comes to a realization that takes him aback.

“Say, Nagisa…”

Karma takes a few steps forward then turns around to face him. He offers an outstretched hand to the shorter boy and wears a sincere smile, the lull of the slow song playing in the background drowns in the sound of his own heart beating.

“Care to dance with me?”

Surprise crosses Nagisa’s expression briefly. Karma’s heart lurches forward because he might be reading the situation wrong after all and he’s making a fool out of himself. Still, he doesn’t move and waits for Nagisa to respond. The boy now stares at him with a look that’s a mix of disbelief and awe.

Nagisa takes his hand wordlessly and that’s enough for Karma.

*

No one seems to be surprised when Karma leads Nagisa down to the field and dances with him. Some of them even appear as though they’ve expected this scene to unfold, and it was just a matter of time. Karma doesn’t dwell on their telling expressions though, all of his attention on the boy in his arms.

“Karma,” Nagisa starts. “You know you’re my best friend.”

Nagisa doesn’t speak the phrase like it’s a question. It never was. Karma hums in acknowledgement. Both of them never explicitly said it themselves but it has always been an unspoken understanding between the two of them that they are each other’s best friend. Perhaps, even each other’s first true friend.

“We’ll still be friends even if we go to different schools, right?”

But unspoken words only go so far.

“I’m disappointed you thought it would be that easy to get rid of me.” Karma lifts Nagisa’s chin to meet his uncertain eyes and flashes a crooked grin. “You underestimate me, Nagisa.”

Nagisa’s eyes widen hilariously. Something lodges in his throat as he thinks that he’ll definitely miss this gullible look on the shorter boy, teasing him has always came easy like breathing, a routine both of them grown attached to. He’ll miss it but it is Nagisa himself that Karma will miss the most.

“It’s not—”

“I won’t let it happen again.”

Karma doesn’t plan on repeating the same mistake he did a year ago. Even though he’s never been one for words and always let his fists do the talking, Karma decides to speak his mind. No matter how hard it is for him, how foreign the taste on his tongue of having him lay out his honest thoughts through words rather than actions, he continues.

“I’ll keep in touch. I’ll make sure to respond to your messages. I’ll even call you, if you want. We’ll hang out after school, on weekends, on holidays. Anytime you want, I’ll hang out with you.” Karma’s cheeks flush faintly. “I… I won’t disappear on you this time.”

Karma never makes promises. Promises were naïve and childish, empty words that hold little to no significance. He has long learned that promises were only meant to be broken, they exist merely to provide a false sense of comfort and hope to those who need them. He’s learned the bitter truth of promises as a child; promises of spending more time with him, coming home often soon, and never leaving him alone again.

None of those promises were kept.

But that wasn’t the case with Nagisa. Even if Karma stopped hanging out with him and left without an explanation, Nagisa still kept his word. Nagisa treated him as a friend despite that it was his fault they grew distant to each other. Karma figured if it was with Nagisa, promises do have meaning. Promises aren’t just words. To Nagisa, promises are the assurance he wants to hear. Something to hold on, something he can believe that’s real.

So Karma promises him one thing.

“I promise I’ll stay.”

Nagisa halts on his steps, pulling Karma into a stop as well.

“You don’t do promises.” mutters Nagisa, voice tight with emotion Karma can’t identify. “You don’t believe in them.”

Unconsciously, the corner of Karma’s lips curl upward. _Of course,_ Nagisa knows this.

“Well, things changed.”

Nagisa looks up at Karma. “What changed?”

 _A lot of things have._ Karma refrains from answering. Nagisa stares at him in anticipation, the warm touch on his arm tells him that he’s not in a rush, and he can wait. He’ll wait for Karma to piece his mind together, allows Karma time to ponder over the question.

Karma reminisces the memories he has with Nagisa in the past year. The unplanned visit to Hawaii – via Korosensei – to watch Sonic Ninja, losing to Nagisa in his own area of specialty, and their once-in-a-lifetime dangerous yet thrilling trip to space. Karma realizes it’s not exactly that a lot of things has changed between the two of them but rather they’ve learned more about each other and discovered something inside him, something inside Nagisa too, something that might have always been there and it’s only now that Karma understood what it really is.

He looks at Nagisa, _looks_ at him like he’s finally seeing him.

“I like you.” Karma says it like a promise.

Nagisa watches him with bated breath.

“My feelings for you…” He trails off, frowning. Why must words fail him now? “They changed or maybe they didn’t. It just took me long to realize that I like you. I really do.”

Nagisa observes him with a careful expression. Karma becomes aware of how hot his face is, the squirmy sensation in his stomach, and how his blood pulsates in his veins at a concerning rate. He doesn’t remember the last time he felt this nervous in his life, it’s kind of amazing that Nagisa has this effect on him. Nagisa is kind of like that. Amazing.

“I like you too.”

A part of him knew but hearing Nagisa utter those words out loud hit differently. Like a punch to the face or a jab on his ribs when he fights, as though he’s short of breath and pure exhilaration runs deep into the blood in his veins. He feels alive.

“I always have.” Nagisa confesses. Though he’s shy and a little red, it doesn’t betray the certainty in his eyes. That if Nagisa was sure of anything in this world, it’s his feelings for Karma.

Karma circles his arms around Nagisa, unaware that they loosened earlier, pulling him closer until their chests are almost pressing against each other. From Karma’s shoulders, Nagisa’s hands find themselves resting around the back of his neck, fingers loosely entangling with his hair.

Nagisa meets his gaze, a tender look on his features as he smiles.

And he’s so, _so beautiful_.

**bonus.**

Karma and Nagisa don’t turn out to be the main characters of the night.

The spotlight falls on a pair of childhood friends who mistakenly forgot of their surroundings and revealed their newly discovered relationship a little too early.

“Maehara, you idiot!” comes Isogai’s flustered outburst.

The said boy simply rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, not in the slightest regretful. 

And even though Karma is eager to join in the teasing but the hand wrapped around his that’s tugging him somewhere else is far more tempting.

Nagisa leads him to their homeroom in the old building. Moonlight spills through the windows and paints the room in a translucent blanket of white that glitters ever so slightly. Nagisa settles on top of the desk near the window and admires the moon’s remaining pieces. Karma chooses to sit on the desk opposite of Nagisa’s, marveling the sight of the other boy bathed in a silver glow.

“Why did you bring me here?”

“Wouldn’t want to end up like those two out there.” Nagisa responds without looking away from the sky.

Karma snorts. Nagisa has a point. He wouldn’t want any of their nosy classmates sticking their noses on their private business. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his slacks and leans back slightly, head turning up as well. Both of them fall silent with the faint music and inaudible chattering of the others outside fill the space between them. They stay like that for a while, simply basking in each other’s presence.

“Do you think we’ll be okay?”

Karma tears his gaze from the stars and finds Nagisa’s holding its own constellations in his eyes.

“We’ll be okay.” He assures.

Pushing himself off the table, Karma reduces the distance between him and Nagisa in two quick steps. He gently cups Nagisa’s cheek in his palm and guides his head to look at him. Karma’s eyes flicker down to his lips and with no moment of hesitation, he presses their lips together. He feels Nagisa melt into the kiss, hands coming up to cradle Karma’s face.

Kissing someone, especially if you’re a pupil of Irina, wouldn’t get your toes curling, stomach filled with butterflies, or lightheaded and dizzy. Not when you’re trained to use it as a skill for assassination. But as for this moment, kissing Nagisa feels right and that’s all that matters.

Karma pulls back slightly to whisper against Nagisa’s lips. “I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> scream at me about karmagisa on [tumblr](https://aka-banes.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/yos9no)


End file.
